Chinese medicine may hold the key to treating diabetes

28 March 2013

Traditional Chinese medicine could be a key weapon in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, a joint international study has found.

Researchers, including The University of Queensland’s Dr Sanjoy Paul and Peking University’s Professor Lilong Ji from Beijing, have found that conventional drugs were significantly more effective when used alongside traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Dr Paul, who is Director of the Queensland Clinical Trials and Biostatistics Centre in UQ’s School of Population Health, said results showed patients treated with traditional Chinese medicine were more than a third less likely to experience hypoglycaemia – dangerously low levels of blood sugar – than those treated with Glibenclamide only.

“They were also less likely to experience other symptoms of diabetes, including fatigue, hunger and palpitation,” Dr Paul said.

“Traditional Chinese medicine has long been used to treat diabetes in China and around the world but until now there has been a lack of evidence regarding its safety and efficacy.

Dr Paul said more studies were needed to interpret just how traditional Chinese medicine worked to reduce hypoglycaemia, but the study results highlighted its potential to reduce the treatment gap in developing countries where diabetes was at epidemic proportions.